QB Option

I just returned from Vandy's latest triumph, bringing them to an unimaginable 4-0 on the season. My father and I were sitting with some friends of the family and saying weird things like, "They just brought in the 2nd string QB because the game's in the bag" and "they went for it on 4th down instead of kicking the easy field goal because points are not important to them at this point in the game."

Upon hearing that last bit of information, one of our friends turned to us and, with a kind and compassionate smile, said, "isn't life wonderful when you have options?" It's true. For the first time in years, I was watching the end of a Vanderbilt football game discussing the options they had, not the necessary and usually futile playcalls in pursuit of victory.

I have a feeling that she wasn't just talking about football though. Much has been in the news lately about the poor of our country. When you have so little that you do not have the resources to flee an approaching and devastating storm, you have little indeed. My Saturday evening was spent in pleasure. I drove to Hillsboro Village to share croissants and coffee with my dad. We then walked to a stadium, rested comfortably upon bleachers and enjoyed a few hours of good times.

I sometimes feel that despite my attempts at earning and saving for a more comfortable living, I am failing daily. But I also know that my worst times are the best of hopes for so many. I sometimes feel the weight of my limited options. But I know that there are so many who live without even that. It's my fear that something as little as a broken fuel pump or a faulty alternator will severely damage my ability to get to work, thus snowballing into further financial struggles or worries. It would just be a minor inconvenience for some, but it worries me daily. Thankfully, I must realize and admit that I have options. I do have some money in the bank, I could charge any repair, or I could borrow from a family member. I'd rather not borrow, but it is an option.

Because of all the things I have in life and of all the blessings and breaks I have received, I know not to look for pity from the absolute millions in the world who don't have what I have. The oppressed people of Darfur, the 200,000 Kenyan children who face famine everyday, the homeless of Nashville, TN.

I have options. And life is wonderful.